Accent Employs Unique Dual RF
Design for Body Contouring
B Y B O B K R O N E M Y E R , A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R
Practitioners are able to treat both deeper cellulite
and more superficial cellulite with the Accent from Alma
Lasers, Inc. (Fla., U.S.), thanks to separate unipolar and
bipolar radiofrequency (RF) treatment heads. Patients
also notice weight reduction after a series of treatments.
The product is FDA 510k pending.
“Of the non-invasive techniques, the Accent is the
most thrilling because it treats the skin and fat,” said
Ilan Karavani, M.D., a dermatologist in private practice in Antwerp, Belgium. “The Accent also requires
fewer treatment sessions. You can see a visual effect.
skin. “The Accent slowly increases the temperature of
the targeted area. You have better control over what
you are doing,” said Dr. Karavani. “The best candidates
for treatment are those with high water content in the
fat. My most popular indications to treat are hips, bellies and saddlebags.”
“The best candidates for treatment
are those with high water content
in the fat. My most popular
indications to treat are hips,
Accent by Alma Lasers, Inc.
bellies and saddlebags.”
Deeper areas of the skin with fat are able to be heated.
Heating the skin also results in contraction and
improvement in skin tightening. Basically, you can
heat everything that contains water.”
The constant movement of the RF energy and the
center of the electromagnetic field below the epidermis
in addition to cooled handpieces prevents burning the
It takes about 20 minutes to heat up both sides of
a region with the Accent. “Over the following few days,
patients feel the fat reducing and the skin tightening,”
Dr. Karavani noted. A second session is scheduled two
weeks after the first treatment. There are a total of
three to six sessions, spaced two to four weeks apart.
“Patients can expect a reduction in volume, improvement in skin texture and improvement of cellulite,” Dr.
“Patients can expect a reduction in
volume, improvement in skin texture
and improvement in celulite.”
Bipolar handpiece
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Unipolar handpiece
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Karavani said. “Most patients comment that treatment
is comfortably warm. You can easily reach 39º C to 41º
C, with a very comfortable level of pain. But the higher the temperature, the better the results. Some
patients feel comfortable up to 45º C.”
Dr. Karavani believes that the Accent is the best
device in the non-invasive sector because it treats fat
and skin at the same time. “We are currently conducting studies in augmenting the water content of the fat
by injecting the fat with saline fluid before treatment,”
said Dr. Karavani, a consultant in dermatologic surgery at the University of Antwerp. “This should
“Cellulite, by its very nature,
varies in depth. Some cellulite
is deeper, while some cellulite is
more superficial.”
Photos courtesy of Emilia del Pino, M.D.
and Ramon Rosado, M.D.
improve results because of the higher water content
and a more substantial heating. We should also achieve
more melting of the fat. If this technique works well,
we will eliminate the need for liposuction, so we can
use the Accent alone.”
“The cellulite market is a potentially booming market that has been untapped now for 20 years of laser
and laser-like treatments,” said David Goldberg, M.D.,
a clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai
School of Medicine in New York City. “Because the
Accent has both a unipolar and bipolar head, we can
Before Tx
After Accent Tx
David Goldberg, M.D.
Clinical Professor of Dermatology
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York, NY
deliver heat at various depths. Cellulite, by its very
nature, varies in depth. Some cellulite is deeper, while
some cellulite is more superficial. The Accent is able to
treat different depths of cellulite in a fairly consistent
manner, from patient to patient.”
Dr. Goldberg uses the unipolar head to treat cellulite and fat reduction on the hips, buttocks, abdomen
and arms. “We’re also able to tighten the face with the
bipolar head,” he said. “With bipolar RF, the heat transfers from one side of the handpiece to the other, so
treatment is superficial. But with unipolar RF, you
have only one side of the handpiece, so heat penetrates
much deeper into the fat.” The large handpiece of the
Accent also “treats very large areas quickly.”
“But with unipolar RF, you
have only one side of the handpiece,
so heat penetrates much deeper
into the fat.”
Fairly significant data from Europe indicates that
the Accent “improves cellulite appearance,” Dr.
Goldberg said. “But a certain number of patients have
also experienced weight reduction.”
Dr. Goldberg is part of an ongoing clinical study of
the Accent that is evaluating changes under MRI and
changes in blood lipids. Almost all of the 30 patients are
being treated for cellulite or fat during three sessions,
one month apart. “We finally have technology that clearly is making a difference. There is no question that clinically these patients improve. I believe RF is the best
technology we currently have for cellulite reduction.” n
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